Property boundary marker

ABSTRACT

A property boundary marker which can be driven into the ground because it is designed to have no substantial horizontal surfaces but which can be interlocked with additional sections to provide increased length by means of interlocking tabs which hold each section to the next. The marker is formed from two intersecting planar cast iron members having slots therein so that external forces fracture the plates of the marker rather than move it.

United States Patent [191 Johnson 1 PROPERTY BOUNDARY MARKER [76] Inventor; John David Johnson, 1435 3rd Ave.

South, Anoka, Minn. 55303 22 Filed: June 3,1974

21 App1.No.:475,746

[52] US. Cl. 52/98; 52/103; 52/165; 52/726 [51] Int. Cl. E04F 9/02 [58] Field of Search 52/103, 153, 98, 165, 726

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,399,426 12/1921 Harding 52/165 1,672,927 6/1928 Burk 52/165 2,349,110 5/1944 Potstada 52/165 2,955,430 10/1960 Alston 52/726 3,352,120 11/1967 Pelzer 52/726 3,685,237 8/1972 Johnson 52/103 Aug. 19, 1975 3,748,795 7/1973 Berntsen 52/103 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,146,252 3/1969 United Kingdom 52/726 Primary ExaminerF rank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-I-Ienry Raduazo Attorney, Agent, or FirmNeil B. Schulte 5 7] ABSTRACT A property boundary marker which can be driven into the ground because it is designed to have no substantial horizontal surfaces but which can be interlocked with additional sections to provide increased length by means of interlocking tabs which hold each section to the next. The marker is formed from two intersecting planar cast iron members having slots therein so that external forces fracture the plates of the marker rather than move it.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU sum 1 5 2 FIG.

PATENTEI] AUG! 9 I975 FlG.2

PIC-3.3

PROPERTY BOUNDARY MARKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a property boundary marker which incorporates some of the features disclosed in my earlier patented property marker covered by US. Pat. No. 3,685,237. In this earlier patent a boundary marker is disclosed which is formed from a relatively brittle material in a number of different orthogonal planes so that the marker will fracture easily in preferred locations rather than move when struck by an external force. This feature helps the marker to continue to clearly indicate the survey point it was originally intended to mark. The present invention is an improvement thereto .in that it provides a marker which can be driven into the ground thus eliminating the need to provide a large hole within which the marker can be buried. This feature was not possible with my previous invention since the orthogonal planes, which were parallel to the surface of the earth, presented a sufiicient obstruction so that the monument could not be driven but had to have a hole prepared in advance. This is not the case with the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, my invention comprises a marker formed from two intersecting orthogonal planes with a point at one end and a driving head at the other end. The orthogonal planes parallel to the surface of the earth are eliminated so that the monument or marker can be driven into the ground provided that a suitable pilot hole is produced first by driving a tool into the ground having a similar shape as the present marker. One of the problems that had to be solved in this design is that with the elimination of any horizontal planar surfaces, it becomes very difficult to form a marker which can be assembled in various sections. This sectional construction is very necessary when it is desired to place markers relatively deeply into the ground. This problem has been overcome by my invention by providing a number of interlocking tabs cast directly onto the vertical planar members at their interlocking ends. Accordingly, they slide into close abutment providing a solid interlock without presenting any substantial horizontal surface which would impede driving the marker into the earth. It may therefore be seen that it is an object of my invention to provide an improved drivable property marker which is still reliably rigid and which incorporates preferred crack off zones. Further objects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the drivable property marker of my invention shown in two sections but lacking specific detail.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the interlocking portions of my property marker showing the interlocking tabs in greater detail.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of part of the apparatus of FIG. 2 rotated 90 to increase the clarity thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I the drivable marker of the present invention is shown in perspective. The marker comprises a main column portion at the top and a secondary column portion 12 designed to interlock with the lower pointed end of the main column. It should be understood that any number of interlocking secondary portions 12 may be utilized to achieve a marker of the desired length. Main column 10 is provided with a driving head 14 which may have a top surface 15 upon which suitable identification information may be embossed or otherwise fixed. The main column portion comprises a pair of intersecting planar members 16 and 18 which intersect generally along the axis of the main column. Planar member 16 is tapered to form a point 20 while planar member 18 is tapered to form a point 19. In addition a small notch 21 is formed by cutting away a portion of point 20 as shown in FIG. 1 for purposes which will be described hereinafter. A number of slots 22 in planar member 18 and slots 23 in planar member 16 provide preferred fracture zones which operate in accordance with the principles described in detail in the above referenced patent and therefore will not be described further here.

Secondary column member 12 is formed from intersecting planar members 30 and 32 which are formed into points 34 and 36 as with the main column. Again a notch 38 is provided by cutting away a portion of point 36, but it should be noted that this notch is positioned at a rotational angle of from the notch in the main column. This ensures that as additional secondary column members are added they. will always be oriented properly relative to the previous member so that the preferred fracture zones continue at appropriate intervals along the combined columns. Slots 40 and 42 are provided in the secondary column to generate preferred fracture zones. If a different arrangement were to be used for the fracture zones, notches 21 and 38 may be moved so as to maintain an orderly spacing of the fracture zones from the main column to the secondary column.

In the prior art successive sections of a property marker generally are connected together by means of heavy discs at each end similar to driving head 14. Such discs may be seen by reference to the above mentioned prior patent. However, in the present invention it is not possible to employ these discs as they would present a horizontal surface which would impede driving the marker into the predriven hole. Consequently, the main column and the secondary column are connected together by means of a number of tabs 43 cast onto the ends of planar member 30. On the opposite side of planar member 30 additional tabs 44 and a small central tab 45 are provided. It may be readily seen in FIG. 1 that planar member 18 and the point 19 thereof fits neatly between tabs 43 and tabs 44 and into the vshaped slot in planar member 30 so as to interlock the main column and the secondary column. The interlock is such that the columns can not bend in any direction 'relative to each other even though no substantial horizontal surfaces are used. The central tab 45 fits only on the side where notch 21 is so that as additional secondary members are added onto the point of secondary member 12, they will necessarily be at the correct angle relative to each other so as to properly align the fracture zones.

Turning to FIG. 2 a more detailed view of the interlocking portion may be had. In FIG. 2 all of the elements mentioned in FIG. 1 are numbered identically and planes 30 and 32 are broken away to shorten the Figure. In FIG. 2 the main column member is inserted into the secondary column member with tab 45 fitting into the slot 21. To make sure that the two members do not bind with each other, the angle subtended by the point 19 is intentionally made somewhat less than the angle subtended by the v'shaped indentation in the interlocking end of planar member 30. This angle is greatly exaggerated in FIG. 2 for clarity. It has been found that a difference in angle of approximately 2 is sufficient to avoid binding. In the preferred embodiment the two angles chosen are 46 and 48 although it is contemplated that designs could be manufactured with angles ranging all the way from up to approximately 120.

Referring to FIG. 3 the secondary column of FIG. 2 is shown rotated 90 so as to present the tabs 43, 44 and 45 in an end view. In FIG. 3 it may be more clearly seen how the interlocking tabs are staggered on alternate sides of planar member 30 in such a way as to enclose therebetween the pointed end of the main column. The interlocking tabs may be formed from various materials and in various methods but in the preferred embodiment they are cast, as shown, as a part of the secondary member. The marker is cast from a relatively brittle cast iron since it is desired that the marker be suseptible to cracking off at the preferred fracture zones formed by the slots rather than moving when subjected to an external force. However, it should be understood that other materials are equally suitable such as aluminum, or other other types of iron, and steel. Consequently, a number of variations may be made to the apparatus as shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A property boundary marker adapted to be driven into the ground comprising a main column with a driving head at one end and a point at the other end, said main column being formed from at least two generally planar members intersecting each other generally along the axis of said main column, which axis extends from said head to said point, and at least one secondary column also formed from intersecting planar members and having a point at one end and interlocking means at the other end. said interlocking means comprising tabs extending from the ends of some of the planar members of the secondary column generally along said axis so as to lay alongside the planar members of said main column adapted to receive the point of said main column therein with the planar members of the main column generally in alignment with the planar members of said secondary column, at least one of said secondary column planar members being cut in at an angle to receive the pointed end of the other column.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including slots in some of said planar members so as to form preferred fracture points in the columns.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there are a plurality of secondary columns.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which there are a plurality of secondary columns.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 including indexing means on the interlocking ends of the columns to insure that each successive secondary column is mounted at a predetermined angle about said axis relative to the preceding column.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said indexing means comprises another tab on the end of the secondary member adapted to fit into a notch in the pointed end of one of the planar members.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the planar members at the interlocking ends of the secondary columns cut in at an angle to receive the pointed end of the previous column utilize an angle slightly greater than the angle subtended by the pointed planar members.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said planar members cut in at an angle to receive the pointed end of the other column are cut at an angle slightly greater than the angle subtended by the pointed planar members. 

1. A property boundary marker adapted to be driven into the ground comprising a main column with a driving head at one end and a point at the other end, said main column being formed from at least two generally planar members intersecting each other generally along the axis of said main column, which axis extends from said head to said point, and at least one secondary column also formed from intersecting planar members and having a point at one end and interlocking means at the other end, said interlocking means comprising tabs extending from the ends of some of the planar members of the secondary column generally along said axis so as to lay alongside the planar members of said main column adapted to receive the point of said main column therein with the planar members of the main column generally in alignment with the planar members of said secondary column, at least one of said secondary column planar members being cut in at an angle to receive the pointed end of the other column.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 including slots in some of said planar members so as to form preferred fracture points in the columns.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there are a plurality of secondary columns.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which there are a plurality of secondary columns.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 including indexing means on the interlocking ends of the columns to insure that each successive secondary column is mounted at a predetermined angle about said axis relative to the preceding column.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said indexing means comprises another tab on the end of the secondary member adapted to fit into a notch in the pointed end of one of the planar members.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the planar members at the interlocking ends of the secondary columns cut in at an angle to receive the pointed end of the previous column utilize an angle slightly greater than the angle subtended by the pointed planar members.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said planar members cut in at an angle to receive the pointed end of the other column are cut at an angle slightly greater than the angle subtended by the pointed planar members. 